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this horse business

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It'd probably raise any eyebrow or two when I say equestrian is my favourite sport at the Olympic Games. Like really?

Tony Andre Hansen (part-time pop singer) cleared his round with only 1 penalty,
leading team Norway to the bronze medal position


But really, I get so excited at the jumping events that each time a horseman commands a good jump or gets a pole-down, I'd hold my breath and it feels like my heart is hanging by my tongue. Honestly, I don't give a half f*** whether Michael Phelps swims or actually flies in water or taken his 101st gold medal in the same game.

There is one man I absolutely admire - Ian Millar. At age 61, he is one of the oldest competitor at the Olympic and the most decorated horseman around. Having rode the ever-famous horse, Big Ben, Ian Millar has won more than 40 Grand Prix in show jumping and probably thousands of other winnings which I haven't learnt of. It is his ninth Olympic appearance. Last night, team Canada was trailing behind team USA at second place for team show jumping event. Ian's superb zero penalty completion of the obstacles at under 88-seconds gave his team a tie with USA.

Ian Millar riding his horse In Style

You wonder what's the big deal. The big deal is, a horseman, or rider, is not competing on his own. He is a team with his horse, which by the way, can throw surprise temperaments no matter how well trained it is. You can ride a horse a hundred times on the same course but on competition day you have another story. A good horseman controls his partner with respect and knows what exactly to do when the animal stops dead in its track during a competition.

Perhaps some people likes to watch competitions which are dead predictable. (Oh it's Phelps again) But there's nothing compared to riding a horse which responds to your every breath and the exultance after each successful jump.

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